Middle East

Mina, Aug 30: Agencies involved in Hajj preparations are ready to serve more than 2 million pilgrims, a senior Saudi official said. Pilgrims have arrived in preparation for the “Day of Tarwiyah,” which falls today, said Interior Ministry Spokesman Maj. Gen. Mansour Al-Turki. He said the Hajj plan would serve over 2 million pilgrims, including 1,747,440 who have already arrived from abroad and

Jeddah, Aug 29: The General Directorate of Passports announced on Monday that up till now, the number of guests of Allah coming from abroad has reached 1,735,391. Maj. Gen. Sulaiman Al-Yahya explained during a press conference held in Jeddah that the number of pilgrims coming by air was 1,631,979; 88,585 by land; and 14,585 by sea. He said that the Saudi leadership was keen on facilitating the

Jeddah/Baghdad, Aug 28: Saudi Arabia on Sunday congratulated the government and the people of Iraq for liberating Tal Afar from Daesh terrorists. The loss of Tal Afar, in northern Iraq between Mosul and the Syrian border, will deprive Daesh of what was once a significant hub for movement between the Syrian and Iraqi components of the self-styled “caliphate” it declared three years ago. An official

Makkah, Aug 27: Hajj is not a platform for politics or sectarianism, but for unity among Muslims, the head of the General Presidency for the Affairs of the Two Holy Mosques, Abdulrahman Al-Sudais, told a Hajj symposium in Makkah. The symposium aims to promote peace during Hajj, and the Kaaba and Prophet’s Mosque are symbols of peace, he said. The world is suffering from terrorism, violence and

High above the Arabian Gulf, an Iranian drone crosses the path of American fighter jets lining up to land on the USS Nimitz. The drone buzzes across the sky at least a mile above the massive aircraft carrier and is spotted by the fighters. It is unarmed. But for the senior Navy commanders on the ship, the presence of the enemy drone so close is worrying. Their biggest fear is the surveillance

Qatar says its ambassador will return to Tehran more than 20 months after he was recalled in protest over the ransacking of Saudi Arabia's missions by protesters angry at Riyadh's execution of a prominent Shia Muslim cleric. In a statement released on Thursday, the Qatari foreign ministry said its ambassador would "return to resume his diplomatic duties", as Doha wanted to strengthen ties in all

Madinah, Aug 24: The security and service sectors involved in serving pilgrims in Madinah have intensified their efforts to provide the best services possible for visitors of the Prophet’s Mosque. More than 750,000 pilgrims reached the city up to Tuesday. All general security branches are participating in the implementation of the security plan for the Hajj season. Security forces in Madinah are

Aug 23: A month after protests over new Israeli security measures at the al-Aqsa Mosque compound rocked occupied East Jerusalem, the tension between the Old City's Palestinian residents and Israeli security forces is still simmering due to Israel's policy of collective punishment. According to prisoner rights group Addameer, 425 Palestinians were arrested from East Jerusalem in July alone. The

Iraq, Aug 20: Iraqi forces have launched a ground offensive to retake a key ISIL-held area in the northern part of the country, Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi said. "You either surrender, or die", Abadi said in a televised speech announcing the operation early on Sunday. He was addressing Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL, also known as ISIS) fighters, who have been in control of the city

New York, Aug 19: Saudi Arabia said on Thursday it was installing four cranes at three ports in Yemen to help boost humanitarian aid deliveries and was ready to assist with installing cranes at the key port of Hodeidah once it was under control of a neutral party. The Saudi mission at the UN said in a statement that the cranes were being installed at the ports of Aden, Mukalla and Al-Mokha — which